The Obedient True Heiress

My foster mother shoved me out of the car when she fled.

I hit my head hard, leaving me with the mind of a five-year-old.

After that, I became even more docile, more obedient.

When my birth parents finally found me, the fake daughter wouldn’t let me in, throwing a fit and threatening to kill herself.

She stood by the shallow pool, barely a foot deep, wailing about jumping in, “If this family can’t accept me, then I’ll just die!”

But she just stood there, hesitating.

I innocently walked over, cautiously extending my hands, and pushed her in.

“Scarlett, I’ll help you.”

A splash!

My mom and dad stared at me, their eyes wide with shock.

When my birth parents finally found me and brought me home, I hadn’t even stepped through the door yet. Scarlett, the fake daughter, was already standing by the villa’s pool, sobbing hysterically.

“Mom, Dad, I’m the daughter you raised for fifteen years! Are you abandoning me?”

Seeing her cry, Mom’s eyes immediately welled up with sympathetic tears.

“Scarlett, it’s not like that.”

“You’ll always be our good daughter, we’ll always love you.”

Scarlett shook her head frantically, tearing at her own hair.

“Then why did you bring her back? Send her away!”

She pointed at me, her gaze filled with pure hatred.

I clutched my teddy bear, shrinking behind Dad, terrified.

Dad spoke with a troubled voice, “Scarlett, didn’t the orphanage and the police contact us after they found her? Please don’t blame Mom and Dad, okay?”

“Now that Alyssa is found, it wouldn’t be right not to bring her home, would it?”

Hearing this, Scarlett calmed down slightly.

I hated it when adults argued.

When my foster mom and dad fought when I was little, they would beat me.

Brenda would grab me, her teeth gritted, and hit my bottom hard.

“It’s all your fault, you good-for-nothing!”

“Why aren’t you dead yet?”

Frank wouldn’t be outdone.

He’d grab the leather belt nearby and lash my back like a madman. “Don’t you dare cry, you’re so annoying!”

As they beat me, they’d even compete to see who left the deepest red marks.

So, I learned to please adults very early on.

Every day, I had to be extra careful, afraid they’d be in a bad mood, afraid they’d suddenly start fighting.

Watching Scarlett and Mom and Dad argue, their faces flushed with anger, I was so scared.

Wanting to change the subject, I cautiously spoke.

“Mom, Dad, is Scarlett really Foster Mom’s biological daughter? Foster Mom used to miss Scarlett a lot.”

Mom immediately squeezed her eyes shut at me.

I didn’t understand. “Mom, are your eyes hurting?”

Scarlett looked at Mom and Dad, tears streaming down her face.

Mom looked anxious, pulling me out from behind Dad.

“Don’t talk nonsense! Go apologize to Scarlett!”

I was confused. “But you said…”

Before I could finish, Mom pushed me towards Scarlett.

Scarlett looked at Mom and Dad, her voice trembling with injustice, “Mom, Dad, it’s all my fault for not being your real daughter. I shouldn’t be taking Alyssa’s place.”

“If this family can’t accept me, then I’ll just die!”

She edged little by little towards the pool.

But she still didn’t jump.

I hugged my teddy bear, walked over obediently, and carefully, tremblingly, reached out and pushed her in.

“Scarlett, I’ll help you.”

A splash!

Mom and Dad stared at me, their eyes wide with shock.

“Ah! Help me!”

Scarlett tumbled into the water, bobbing up and down, struggling desperately.

I smiled, stroking my teddy bear’s head. “Beary, don’t be scared. We helped Scarlett.”

“Now Scarlett will be happy.”

Mom and Dad were still frozen, staring blankly at me.

“Dad! Mom! Help!”

Scarlett’s cries rang out again, jolting Dad into action. He plunged into the pool and pulled Scarlett out.

As soon as Scarlett was out, she pushed me away violently, throwing herself into Mom’s arms.

I was shoved to the ground.

My little bear rolled right into the pool.

Scarlett, her eyes brimming with tears, wailed, “Mom, Dad, Alyssa tried to kill me! Wahhh! I don’t know what I did to make her hate me so much!”

Mom and Dad quickly grabbed a towel and wrapped her up tightly, comforting her with worried faces.

They didn’t even notice my favorite bear had been pushed into the pool.

I stood by the edge of the pool, crying anxiously.

“Beary, don’t be scared! I’m coming to save you!”

Splash!

I jumped into the pool.

I desperately swam towards my sinking bear, forgetting I couldn’t swim.

I finally grabbed Beary.

But I couldn’t breathe.

I slowly sank, just like when Brenda threw me into the river before, watching the surface of the water get farther and farther away.

Mom and Dad on the bank didn’t notice me at all.

Once again, I quietly closed my eyes.

When I was little, I was washing clothes by the river in winter. The water was so cold my hands went numb.

I accidentally let a piece of clothing get swept away by the current.

When Brenda found out, she simply threw me into the icy river.

I struggled frantically, while Brenda stood on the bank, yelling angrily.

“You worthless brat! I’m going to teach you a lesson today!”

“Let’s see if you dare to be lazy again!”

But I was always so obedient, I never was lazy.

That day, as I sank into the icy river, scenes from my life flashed before my eyes like a movie.

Tiny me, cooking on the stove.

Being beaten savagely by my foster parents.

And endless, hateful curses…

When I vaguely woke up, I found myself in a hospital bed.

The doctor next to me spoke regretfully, “The head trauma has left Alyssa with the intelligence of a five-year-old. But if she receives proper training, there’s a chance she might recover in the future.”

Dad sighed deeply. “Doctor, please take care of Alyssa’s rehabilitation from now on.”

The doctor hesitated. “There’s one more thing. We just examined Alyssa and found her body covered in injuries. Should we report it to the police?”

Hearing this, Mom walked closer to me.

She pulled up my clothes.

The moment they saw my body covered in scars, Mom and Dad froze, their eyes both reddening.